Tag : Classics

One of the foundational works of Western culture, published in 8 AD, this long poem by Roman poet Ovid attempts to chronicle the history of the world, from its creation to the death and deification of Julius Caesar.

One of the foundational works of Western culture, published in 8 AD, this long poem by Roman poet Ovid attempts to chronicle the history of the world, from its creation to the death and deification of Julius Caesar.

It’s a majestic work, a poem that concerns everything, that reflects everything. I read it for the first time twenty-five years ago, in Latin, as a university student. It was an unforgettable encounter, maybe the most satisfying reading of my life. To understand this poem I had to be persistent, translating every word. I had to devote myself to an ancient and demanding foreign language. And yet Ovid’s writing won me over: I was enchanted by it. I discovered a sublime work, a living, enthralling language.

'One Hundred Years of Solitude' tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendia family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women -- brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul -- this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.

'One Hundred Years of Solitude' tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendia family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women -- brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul -- this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.

This book floored me as a younger reader. I think it drove me into writing thrillers, because I realized I couldnt do anything at his level. So I decided to try something I might be capable of doing well. I had read a few thrillers and thought I might be able to write in that genre.